HONEYWELL, the company that for decades has kept the temperature just right in American homes and offices, has been swallowed up in a $13.8bn (pounds 8.6bn) stock deal announced yesterday with aerospace and electronic parts giant, AlliedSignal. But the name that appears on a million thermostats will remain.

HONEYWELL, the company that for decades has kept the temperature just right in American homes and offices, has been swallowed up in a $13.8bn (pounds 8.6bn) stock deal announced yesterday with aerospace and electronic parts giant, AlliedSignal. But the name that appears on a million thermostats will remain.

LAST WEEK a respected senior book publisher offered pounds 150,000 for a novel, sight unseen, written 10 years ago by a man who was then in his early twenties. The author had abandoned his juvenile literary efforts, gone into TV, and, in the way of things, had become a personality. Then one day, he remembered that he had a nice little earner in his bottom drawer.

LEADING SHAREHOLDERS in BICC have rebuffed an increased pounds 462m offer for the troubled cable and construction group from Wassall, the aggressive mini-conglomerate.

THE BID battle for the cables and construction group BICC intensified last night after it rejected an increased offer worth pounds 462m from Wassall, the aggressive mini-conglomerate which has been stalking the company for six months.

GREG HUTCHINGS, chairman of Tomkins, was in resigned mood yesterday as he prepared for his company's exit from the FTSE 100 share index. According to analysts, Tomkins will make pre-tax profits this year of around pounds 500m. None of the four newcomers joining the index make anything like that amount, and one of them, Energis, makes no money at all. Mr Hutchings knows as well as anyone that the stock market values companies by reference to their perceived future prospects, not their past, but even so, this must seem a trifle perverse.

ANDREW SMITH unexpectedly missed out on the job of chief executive of Associated British Ports (ABP) after two years as managing director of the company's ports operations. The job instead went to Bo Lerenius from Stena Line. Mr Smith has decided to leave, with a pay-off of around pounds 200,000. Mr Lerenius master-minded the merger between Stena and P&O cross- channel ferry services.

SHARES IN BICC, the troubled cables group, leapt by 16 per cent yesterday on growing speculation that the acquisitive mini-conglomerate Wassall was preparing a bid.

PETER KILFOYLE, the Public Services minister, was due yesterday to launch a new taskforce to improve quality in public services. He was also to announce that the biggest number yet of government services had won the Charter Mark award - which aims to make organisations more efficient and effective. But instead of trumpeting the achievements of public services he arrived late, embarrassed and furious.

MIDLANDS, WITH a 1-0 win against South on the opening day of the Women's Under-21 Regional Tournament at Milton Keynes yesterday, gave notice of their intent to hold on to their title while the North overcame West opposition to win 4-1.

NOBODY SEEMS much to like Siebe's planned merger with BTR. Siebe's shareholders worry that the merger will dilute their company's quality image, and that BTR will prove as unmanageable for Siebe's Allen Yurko as it plainly has been for his opposite number at BTR, Ian Strachen.

THE pounds 450m takeover of the RAC roadside breakdown business by an American conglomerate was yesterday referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC).

TLG, THE lightning company, was yesterday at the centre of a bid battle after Wassall, the mini-conglomerate, launched a pounds 351m cash bid, trumping a pounds 321m agreed offer from Cooper Industries of the US.

THE HUGELY complex break-up of Hillsdown Holdings signals the end of yet another of those old-fashioned and greatly unloved conglomerates.